The Game That SAVED Roman Gabriel's CAREER | Rams @ Falcons (1971)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- During the 1971 NFL season, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel was in serious danger of losing his starting spot and possibly never getting another opportunity to play in the league again. He got one final chance to prove himself against the Atlanta Falcons... and everything changed. This is the story behind the game that saved Roman Gabriel's career
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#nfl #rams #nflthrowback #falcons
Roman Gabriel played for the following Rams teams:
1962 Rams
1963 Rams
1964 Rams
1965 Rams
1966 Rams
1967 Rams
1968 Rams
1969 Rams
1970 Rams
1971 Rams
1972 Rams
Members of the 1971 Rams:
Lance Rentzel
Jerry Rhome
Roman Gabriel
Jim Nettles
Gene Howard
Alvin Haymond
Clancy Williams
Travis Williams
David Ray
Pat Studstill
Willie Ellison
Les Josephson
Bob Thomas
Ken Geddes
Larry Smith
Kermit Alexander
Dave Elmendorf
Lee White
Roger Williams
Matt Maslowski
Ken Iman
John Pergine
Jim Purnell
Dean Halverson
Don Parish
Isiah Robertson
Rich Saul
Jack Reynolds
Tom Mack
Bill Nelson
Mike LaHood
Joe Carollo
Joe Scibelli
Phil Olsen
Charlie Cowan
Merlin Olsen
Deacon Jones
Harry Schuh
Rich Buzin
Gregory Wojcik
Coy Bacon
Bob Klein
Jack Snow
Jack Youngblood
Marlin McKeever
Pat Curran
probably the single greatest quarterback from that era of the NFL to never make it to Canton. We need to write in and vote for him to make it to the Hall of Fame; he deserves it.
Definitely
Roman Gabriel was my All-Time Favorite football player as a kid. Thanks for posting this awesome video. Great footage I’ve never seen.
Ha ha he was my fave too. I still say he was my idol when his name comes up. I saw him play as an Eagle in Philly. I was pissed when the Rams traded him.
@@catonthemoon2084 So was I, but I watched him faithfully in Philadelphia whenever he was on my TV. And pulled for him even though I am a diehard Rams fan.
My first football hero as a kid also. And I got to meet him about 13 years ago and got to know him as he went to the same gym I go to back home. I'm retired Army and Roman loved the military. We had some interesting conversations in the gym. He will be missed!
I became a life long Rams fan in 1967 when I watched Gabriel throw a TD pass to Jack Snow. I was in Football heaven. Also loved the Fearsome Foursome. I was so happy when the Rams finally won a SB in 1999 as the St. Louis Rams. Huge Kurt Warner fan. But the Rams finally winning a SB in LA this year has me so joyful. Love AD99 and Kupp. However, I have never forgotten my first love, Roman Gabriel.
one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
The takeaway is that if you’re in need of a miracle, just play the Falcons.
28-3 lead, in the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl, and the Falcons STILL lost to Brady.
Yep
IDK Jay. The Houston Oilers REWROTE the BOOK on tanking in the second half in January of 1993.
Sad, but consistently true. Ask Teddy Bridgewater...rookie season. Smh. Lol
Roman was having elbow pain I believe in his throwing arm in 1971. I believe that is one reason he had such horrible passing stats. Remember, he was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year in 1973 and was also a Pro Bowl selection. I never booed him, I always thought he was playing his ass off out there. Roman should be in the pro football hall of fame for being the grittiest gutsiest QB of the 60s.
We had season tickets not far from the tunnel in the Coliseum during the "boo bird" era in L.A. The crowd booed Roman like crazy as he walked off at halftime. He looked so despondent. Our group of 6 yelled out our encouragement as he went by. He took off his helmet, looked at us and waved and nodded with appreciation. The next day we read quotes from his post-game interview and his response to the booing. He said, "There are fans who still support me..." We felt like he was talking about us. The "boo bird" thing was a were a really big deal. My mom got a bumper sticker that had a Rams helmet, Gabriel's number 18 and one line: "Bye Bye Boo Birds!"
I loved Roman both with the rams and the eagles. That was a great story you told.
Falcons vs rams 1969….best uniform game ever
Love the classic unis
I subscribed to Pro Football Weekly back in those days and after the victory over Green Bay the following week in the LA Coliseum, in which Roman threw three TD passes, the headline above the the account of the game (by Mal Florence, IIRC) stated "GABE'S BACK ON THE BEAM".
As a RAMS fan, I don't remember thinking that he was finished or reading that in the pages of PFW (I live in the eastern part of the country so don't know what the consensus was in the LA media), just that he was ailing and in a slump as a result.
He had some tendonitis n the elbow and a collapsed lung too. A new offense as well. I was at alot of those 71 games. A childhood hero. Almost played for him at Cal Poly.
@@gordonreed2736 Yeah, those physical issues cropped up the next season, the lung problem occurring at the beginning of camp. So, you played CFB?
Yep n 72. Thanks
P.a. don't forget a divorce too. That one made me upset. Years later a coaching friendj said to me that Roman regretted that.
Growing up in so Cal a Rams fan, my favorite O player at the time. when traded to Phi I was heart broken I was 10. Now I know the rest of the story. Thx
For what it's worth, my parents took me to see them play New Orleans in '71.They won comfortably that day, and Willie Ellison broke the record for most yards gained in one game.
I watched that game on TV 📺
@@catonthemoon2084 I'm guessing you weren't living in Southern Cal. at the time? Back then, Rams home games were always blacked out in or around LA. 😊
I watched it too (or maybe listened to it on the radio with Dick Enberg)... Good ol' Willie Ellison!
Induct Roman Gabriel into the NFL HALL OF FAME!
Good video the Rams had some really good years in the late 1960s early 70s
I love how back in the day the sports media told it like it was instead of sugarcoating and shoving political agendas down people's throats.
How true man. How true.
Great editing of Gabriel recovering a fumble and getting immediately speared in the neck by D lineman-followed by clip of Gabriel with old fashioned ice pack on his head. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Official JaguarGator9, for posting these tidbits about players/teams etc. It makes me reminisce about my early football days and why I fell in love with the sport
Great video. It was a shame Gabriel didn’t stay healthy. He had shoulder problems in 1972 and was gone by 1973. Idk why he couldn’t follow up his great 1973 season in Philly. The defense was better in 1974 but the offense led by Gabriel mostly struggled. He never regained his 73 magic in Philly. Was a gutsy tough QB reminds me of Big Ben quite a bit
Gabriel is the QB responsible for decades of scouts waxing romantic about the big QB standing tall in the pocket and taking a hit as he unleashes a TD bomb. Only about a decade ago did this notion of that type of QB being obsolete finally take hold.
Those early 1971 disappointments against the Saints and Falcons kept the Rams out of the playoffs. During the rest of the season, they lost 4 games to playoff teams-Miami, Baltimore, Dallas, and Washington. Beating SF twice wasn’t enough, as the 49ers had an easier schedule outside the division. Gabriel struggled again in 1972, but was fighting through injuries. The Rams traded him in June 1973 after a contract dispute (and after they’d already acquired John Hadl from SD).
I shook Romans hand after my first college game as WR . He was Head Coach of Cal Poly Pomona ( So. Ca )
Tall , big dude . Saw him as fan against the Forty Niners years earlier .
He had an All American DB that game . I had like 7 catch’s for 130 yds .
He said “ good game “ to me .
Rest in Peace, Roman Gabriel.
Should be in the Hall of Fame 18
I wasted 30 years of my life as a Falcons fan
Only 30 my child?
The reason why Roman was struggling because he had tendonitis of his throwing elbow. He went through a series of acupuncture that seemed to improve his throwing
The 1967-71 Los Angeles Rams were excellent ball clubs, but they had one fault, and it was they'd run out of gas at the end of the year. In 1967, after an excellent season, they had no energy when facing Green Bay in the first round of the playoffs, and in 1968 they lost to Chicago in the second to last regular season game, which cost them a shot at the Coastal Division title. They were 11-0 to start the 1969 season, and then lost their last three games as well as the divisional playoff to Minnesota. Late-season losses in 1970 and 1971 also cost them a shot at the division title, which was won by San Francisco.
That was the hallmark of teams coached by George Allen, who hated the draft and figured the more players over 30 he had the better. He had the same problem with the *Redskins* which is why in 7 playoff appearances Allen went one and done 6 times.
BTW if you ever read Jerry Kramer's book Instant Replay (I highly recommend it) he admits he was scared of the Rams and really thought they'd be the team that ended the Packers' run once and for all.
That game the Rams lost to the Bears in 1968, the refs screwed up and took away a down that they should have had.
I read part of Kramer's book, and I remember him writing the Rams were highly talented and scary team. The Rams did take a quick 7-0 lead in that playoff, but after the Packers blocked a field goal, the Rams seemed to lose all their energy.
@@DolFan316 The one time he did go to the Super Bowl was when the Redskins had two home playoff games, and they were fortunate to play a young and inexperience Packer team and then a Dallas team that was aging. Allen's teams played one of its best games of the year to beat the Cowboys, but then had nothing left for the Dolphins in Super Bowl VII.
5:57 Never stop OBJ9!!! (Whispers.) Never stop...
Who?
My favorite part of every video.
Good stuff. I think that year it was the Jets, without Namath, who knocked the Rams out late in the year.
Gabriel's appearance on Gilligan's Island should be enough to get him in the NFL HOF. Tarnished his image when he left for Philly. After that they could have traded him for a cheese steak.
Tommy Prothro, he was a pretty colorful coach and person, and I like that he was a one-quarterback man (sounds like something Prothro would say; he he, according to the Hunter Fred Dryer, Prothro once accidentally ran over a Rams kicker's foot with a golf cart).
It's neat to think that had the Colts somehow beaten the Rams in the 1967 season finale, Don Shula would have two unbeaten teams. Instead they finished 11-1-2 and...out of the playoffs! Then go 13-1 the next season. Apparently Shula's Colts were pretty good...
As an avid Rams fan n those days I'll tell ya the Colts scared ya. They were really good.
He deserves to be in Canton
The much needed context: 1:07
After the game, all the talk was about how they needed some context prior to spiking the ball into the ground on every play...
And if you think that a controversial call is the craziest thing with the 1971 Rams and the Saints, then you ain't heard about when one of their QBs tried to sell us a playbook the following season.
*WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!* Now I have GOT to see a video about THIS!!!
That was Bill Munson, not Gabriel.
Sweetan allegedly.
@@jlondo9161 Yep. Karl Sweetan.
Manning fumbled. That was a homer call.
I was introduced to Roman Gabriel from the 1991 World League of American Football season, when he was coach of the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks (unfortunately, that team went 0-10). from there, I learned of his playing career, which I think was exceptional (maybe a modern-day comparison would be Joe Flacco? Very good QB's who were just shy of great, but no shame in that).
6:54 Back when men were men and didn't let piddly stuff like severe brain injuries waste their time. Not like the wimps today who'd miss half a season after being KO'd in a game, whereas back then they'd just play their best game of the season the next week.
Damn why so hard core... But you are a right
Looks like Cedrick Hardman (86) of SF delivering that KO blow to Roman. Yes, QBs took a lot of direct hits in those days. Roman still does public engagements and autograph signings. He’s still on the “wrong side” of 30.
Do a video about the time Warren Beatty died in a bicycle accident and then came back as the Rams quarterback...Or wait was that a movie...lol
He was already a QB for the Rams before the bike accident.
@@Rockhound6165 And he came back from the dead as the Rams qb, as I said...lol
@@diaz5292 actually, he came back as a rich industrialist who bought the Rams and who was going to play for QB until he was killed again then he jumped into Jarrets body.
@@Rockhound6165 Yes. Rather than summarize the film, I mentioned the pertinent facts that 1. He died. And 2. He returned as the QB for the Rams. This is pertinent because the video was about the QB for the Rams. If it were about rich industrialists buying NFL teams and then giving themselves the starting QB job, then perhaps I would have mentioned that as well.
Beatty would then run for Governor of California...
Gabriel also did some acting.
I remember him in an episode of Perry Mason. Of course a number of athletes particularly in the LA area tried to get into show business either part time or trying to start a new career
@@dwlopez57 I remember him on Gilligan's Island.
@@Rockhound6165 I dont remember that, but for being on a deserted island they sure had a lot of guest stars
Look up the undefeated. John Wayne n ROCK Hudson
I would say those rams uniforms made him look better than he actually was a better qb would have won a couple of championships those were some great rams teams he played on.
Those unis were sweet. The blue and yellow ones they switched to in '73 were good too, but of course like all modern unis the ones they have now suck.
@@DolFan316 this generation sucks period tom Brady has been artificially propped up by the NFL for years another argument for another day perhaps had to get that in.
Can a QB be on the wrong side of 30? Wrong side of 35 maybe, but there isn't the same drop off at 30 for QBs like there is RBs.
hey kid no mention of Gabriel’s hurt arm /elbow in the early 1970s which pledged him the rest of his career-big fact to miss - do better research
I was a Ram fan in 1971 and I need to give this video some context.
In 1973 the top three quarterbacks in the NFL were, in order, Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton, and John Hadl, the starting quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams.
Hadl had 7.8 yards per attempt, second in the league to Staubach and far better than Gabriel's 7.0.
Hadl had a better touchdown-interception ratio than Gabriel: 22-11 vs. 23-12 and threw those 22 touchdown passes in EXACTLY 1/2 the completions as Gabriel.
Hadl TD% was 8.5%! That's outstanding, while Gabriels was 5.0%, still extremely good. In 1973 the league's TD% was 4.27%.
Manning did not get into the endzone. He fumbled!
But you failed to mention that Gabriel had elbow problems that would manifest themselves in tendonitis during the 1972 season, would require acupuncture, and lead to the Rams' on-a-week--off-a-week play.
Where they would play fine one week, followed by poorly the next week, followed by fine the next week, and so on.
So much so that the Rams had to seek an insurance policy in acquiring John Hadl from the Chargers as a backup for Gabriel.
Gabriel demanded a trade and had his best year with the Eagles.
All Hadl did was win the MVP.
Just to give some context.
It's not surprising Roman Gabriel's career went down hill fast back then quarterbacks & ball players In general didn't really stay in shape during the off season And he's in LA the quarterback of the LA rams You can just look around and see how many quarterbacks are playing until they're late thirties now Sports science has come a long way the last 50 years
Ok and Malcolm Butler saved Tom Brady legacy
Very true, also if played against the Eagles Brady would had 8 rings
So did Vinatieri a couple of times.
@@DolFan316 3 times by the way
of course Butler had a little help from Darrell Bevell and Pete Carroll
Great qb, terrible actor.
I've never seen Gabriel act but there's no way he could be worse than Marino. Is there???
@@DolFan316 LACES OUT!!!
Thank you for this one. I was an Eagles fan in 73. It’s my favorite team of all time. They never quit on me. Every week they brought everything they had.
I’ll never forget the Monday Night game against Dallas in Philly. Lavender returns a Dennison fumble 90+ to tie the game and Roman leads a late drive for the FG to win. That was one of the first 4. My dad always thought Gabriel grounded the ball and cheated the Cowboys out of that one.
7:30 I'm officially jealous of Gabriel's hair BTW.
He had the new modern "Dry Look" by Gillette hair spray. 😊
Before the second Falcons game Gabriel for the season was 39 of 91 (43%) with one TD and 2 INTs. Afterwards he was 141 of 261 (54%) with 16 TDs and 8 INTs. So yeah.
Gabe was the coolest
One more thing, Roman Gabriel is a very handsome man, and for him to wear that one bar as his face mask, in an Era that you could slaughter a QB, man..., no way ANY quarterback would have the guts to do that today!!!!!
I was a huge Rams and Roman Gabriel fan. The old Coastal Division pennant was a fight between the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams. The 49's and the Saints stunk.
The Saints were never in the Coastal Division. They joined the NFC West in 1970 after the NFL-AFL merger with the Colts moving to the AFC.
I was a ramfan way back when Roman Gabriel was starting quarterback shows how old I am
The fact that I remember Roman Gabriel shows how old I am. 😳
And since Roman Gabriel, the Rams have had a revolving door of quarterbacks until Kurt Warner while the team was in St Louis and he won the Super Bowl that one year.
@@robertmasina4610 yeah but he didn't hang around too long either.
Roman Gabriel was my hero! I was 13 in 1971. Roman should be in the HOF!
So true. And before he gets any older. Those guys were the real deal. Real beasts.
Me too
4:20 Uh oh, easy there!
5:50 Yes!
4:20 - Saints fans are pissed
5:50 - Take a drink
50 Years Ago
Falcons are always good as a get right opponent, just ask Blaine Gabbert
He was my favorite quarterback growing up Rams#18 #5 RIP🇺🇸✝️😔
If Roman Gabriel had won a Super Bowl, then there is NO DOUBT that he would be in the Hall of Fame right now!
It's just too bad he NEVER got to BE in one!
I knew Roman Gabriel. He was a GREAT QB and a GREAT American! He will be missed!
Never forgave the Rams for trading Gabriel. Hadl had a great first half of the 1972 season. Then Los Angeles was mired in QB controversies for years thereafter.
Gabriel was good enough as an Eagle QB to beat the Cowboys at Veterans' in 1973 and 1974, which Philly hadn't done in ages. Off the field, I remember some years ago an article summarizing Gabriel's complicated relationship with her kids, owing to his alleged personal, parental and financial misdeeds, a la Roscoe Tanner. The article read that Gabiel was trying to repair his relationships with family.
That game you speak of prolonged his career it didn't save it if it saved his career he probably would have had 5 more real good years like Jim Plunkett had with the raiders.
Such an interesting story. I remember him well as a kid, and he was very good when I was growing up. So interesting how one game may really have changed his career path, too. Great job laying out this context.
I barely remember Gabriel and I remember him as an Eagle. Was a bit too young to remember his Rams days.
Obviously Ken Anderson is the #1 for eligible QBs not in the Hall, but Gabriel is probably #2 on my list. He was statistically so ahead of most of his peers for most of his career, but those injuries and lack of titles really hurt him
True Ken Anderson should be in the HOF. Unfortunatly he had to play his career against the Steele Curtain.
@@tomb4575 so did Earl Campbell and in 1978 and 1979, he did it 3 times in each year.
I was starting to feel bad for Jerry Rhome until I looked up his stats when he finally got to replace Gabriel VS the 49ers. 2 of 11 for 13 yards and an INT?!?! Back to the bench with you!
And apparently even Rhome realized he sucked, since '71 was the last season of his career.
The Rams with Rhome under center vs the 49ers ran for over 300 yards as a team. That’s how they won that game. And it was a blowout. It was the worst game by a QB in the history of the league where his team won by 20 or more points
The Niners couldn't beat the Rams at Candlestick in the 70s for some reason. In fact, they lost to LA both times in 1971. However, SF still won the division over the Rams by 1/2 game.
@ 5:59 it's there, it's there!
Suggestion: your podcasts would be improved if you noted more of the players in the clips. Here perhaps Jack Snow or others contributing to key plays or games in the podcast...
Number 84, Jack Snow. He was my favorite receiver.
@@ronricherson6685 Mine, too. He died too young. His son played professional baseball and was quite good.
In this clip; Gabriel completing passes to; Bernie Casey (25), Jack Snow (84), Les Josephson (34), Tommy Mason (20), Harold Jackson (14), Jim Stiger (26), and Willie Ellison (33), of the Rams, and Harold Carmichael (17), of the Eagles. I probably missed a few.
You missed TE Billy Truax. I don’t think Gabriel threw to Harold Jackson he came as part of the trade from Philly for Gabriel.
Thank you once again for posting a great story that needs notice. You always do an incredible job.
Roman was just a little before my time, and growing up in Baltimore my Dad always told stories about how great Johnny Unitas was.....but you could hear the respect in my father's voice when Roman's name came up.
Totally not accurate. There was no prospect of Jerry Rhome being the starter. In the game he filled in for Gabriel he 2 for 11. Yes, there were boos but the only way Rhome would have played is if Gabriel got hurt. Which he was. He had elbow issues in 1971 and knee problems, too. He had surgery on both that year. Had knee surgery in the Spring and again in December.
Sweetan threw himself out of the #2 job bu being an INT machine. Rhome was cut by Houston because he got beat out by rookies and Charley Johnson.
It's fair to say Gabriel played poorly. It is also fair to say he got blood. It's inaccurate to say the 2nd Falcons game saved his career. But, I know, you have to hype up this kind of video for clicks.
The truth about Gabriel is he could stay healthy in his last years with the Rams. It wasn't his age, he took hits and wouldn't go down, and had a punctured lung in 1972.
Rhome was out of the NFL after the 1971 season, that's how bad he was. At no point did he play well enough in practice to even be considered for the starting job.
Had Gabriel comminuted to struggle Rams would have traded for someone. Rhome was not going to ever start unless Gabriel was in hospital bead.
4:27. Damn son, that still hurts. Who dat?!
"Gabriel was on the wrong side of 30."
Brady: hold my beer.
Great
The Eagles and the Falcons they had a team?...Oh Canadian Football..I forgot about that league.
Haha
RIP Roman!❤
RIP Roman
He was a decent qb nothing more he only threw for around 26,000 yards for his career it was a different game back then but a great qb would have had better numbers.
After his final season Gabriel was 8th all-time in career passing yards, with more than Len Dawson, Joe Namath and Bart Starr. You act as if the passing explosion that began the season after he retired makes him horrible.
@@DolFan316 you missed the rest of what I said I did say that it was a different game back then more running oriented that said with a better qb they should have won at least 1 championship yea green Bay was in their way I get that too.
@@DolFan316 You missed the rest of my post I also said that it was a different game back then(more running)but I still say with a better qb that great rams team should have won 1champopnship.
@@karlcooper8460 Gabriel was not on the Rams when Chuck Knox took over in '73 and started a run of seven straight playoff appearances. Not his fault. He really only had two legit chances at a title and there's no shame in losing to the final Lombardi Packers team or the '69 Vikings.
@@DolFan316 I know that about 73 I get it timing is also a factor but when you consider how good those rams teams were and George Allen was no slouch coach they should have won one.